Time's Up
by usaangel509
Summary: If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know? Ereri!
1. Chapter 1

_So I found this post on tumblr(that's the summary) and all I could think of was Eren and Levi. _

_So this is a oneshot for now,_

_Butttt_

_If you guys like it, and let me know, I will write another chapter and make it a twoshot. _

_So r&r, guys! (: _

**I do not own SNK or any characters!**

* * *

_000 d 004 h 032 m 023 s_

Today was the day.

The day for what, you ask?

Well, the day my timer goes down to zero.

You see, all people are born with a timer in their wrists, and these timers count down the very seconds until you are destined to meet your soulmate. What happens then? Well, some people get down on one knee and propose in that very moment. Some people drop everything they're doing and run to that person, bringing them into their arms and hugging them so tightly as if to make up for every second they spent apart. Some people fight it, they don't want to conform to fate's chosen path so they try to avoid it in any way they can, and completely unaware that everything that happens is meant to happen. Everything that goes on in life is supposed to. Soon, they realize, just like everyone else, you can't fight fate.

Unfortunately, for other people, their timers never reach the end. They are the ones you see barely ghosting through life. They have no joy in their eyes; you can visibly see how miserable they are in every fiber of their very being.

Why don't their timers reach zero?

Well, one of them dies.

It happened to one of my friends.

His timer had only seconds, and he was so nervous, glancing around, searching everywhere.

_Ba-dump._

His heart was hammering in his chest, and just as his eyes locked with a pair of warm brown, he knew. The boy was across the street, all neat chocolate locks and freckles. The smile that lit up his soul mate's face will always haunt him, because as soon as they locked eyes he went to run across the street. Neither one saw the low cruiser coming, tinted windows rolling down as a black barrel snuck its way out. All my friend could do was scream as that car came at the wrong time. Crime is at an all-time high. If you walk down the wrong street at the wrong time, the chances of you being caught in gang activity was very high.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

_Why?_

Drive-bys happen every day where we are from. The people in the car were aiming for someone else, but poor Jean's soul mate got hit in the cross fire, directly in his chest. He didn't stand a chance. He collapsed, dark crimson splotches erupting from beneath his shirt, soaking him and the asphalt beneath him.

Jean ran into the street, bringing the boy into his arms, tears running down his face as he grabbed his wrist to check his time. Was it the same as his?

_000 d 000 h 000 m 001 s_

So, yeah. Not everyone gets to meet their soul mate. Those who do, however, lead such happy lives. You can see it just by looking in their eyes. They light up with love, with some un-nameable emotion that was unexplainable to those who haven't experienced it themselves.

"Eren, hurry up! We're going to be late!"

Oh, yeah! I forgot, that's my best friend Armin. I've known him ever since I was little. He used to play with me and my adopted sister Mikasa.

He's incredibly smart and loves to read. His timer has two more seconds than mine, so whoever his soul mate is, I get to meet mine just two seconds later. Since we're going out to go meet up with Mikasa to go shopping today, we're going to meet our soul mates together.

How exciting!

Every one I know has been counting down the seconds until they meet their special One.

My friends Connie and Sasha are soul mates, too. They were lucky, they met when they were kids and grew up together. Now they are the best of friends as well as partners for the rest of their lives. They're so fortunate.

Only a few hours left until I get to meet who fate has decided will be my perfect match!

My other half, the one who will love me eternally until death do we part.

Once you find your soul mate, nothing else in the world matters. All you want to do is be with them.

"I'm coming, Armin! Just let me put my shoes on!"

I didn't dress up for the occasion. I wore jeans, a dark denim that faded to a lighter hue on the tops of the thighs and on the butt paired with a grey t-shirt with a black, grey and white flannel on top. I left it open, none of the buttons meeting to hold it closed. My hair was brown, messy and short, but that was how I liked it. My eyes were an emerald green around the very outside and on the inside they were flecked with so many different variations of blues and greens, it was hard to tell if they were green or if they were actually blue. They reminded me of the ocean surrounding the islands of the tropics. Like the Caribbean.

I pulled on my black and white converses, tying the laces together in a quick bow before straightening up, grabbing my necklace with they key given to me by my father, and exiting my room.

I didn't want to look like someone different when I finally met them. By them, I mean soul mate. I wanted them to see who I really was. I didn't want them to think I was someone that I wasn't. So, despite everyone telling me I should dress up, I didn't. I wore my regular clothes; albeit my nicest ones, but they were clothes I wore on a regular basis. I had my favorite flannel and my favorite jeans.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I glanced down to the inside of my wrist.

_000 d 003 h 045 m 058 s_

_Ah! I can't wait!_

I let my lips stretch into a wide smile as I walked down the hall to join Armin in the living room.

"Eren, you're really not going to dress up for this? You look like you always do!" Armin was built very petit. He had these big, blue eyes that any girl would kill for paired with the most golden blonde hair I had ever seen. He had long hair, chin length in a bowl cut around his face with bangs that angled straight across his forehead. Today he was wearing a pair of nice fitting slacks with a white dress shirt and a black vest, every crease perfectly formed, not a wrinkle in sight. I kind of envied him, the way he could keep everything together and look like he just stepped right out of a magazine with how well he pulled off his look of maturity. I chuckled lightly.

"Armin, but I want them to see me. They were meant for me, so that means that I shouldn't have to do anything extra to make them like me."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before straightening his vest. "Alright, well, let's go. We don't want to keep Mikasa waiting, you know how she gets when she's away from Annie."

Oh, yeah. My adopted sister had already found her soul mate. Mikasa was a beautiful woman, half Japanese and half American with long, dark hair and gorgeous twinkling eyes that were just as dark.

She had had a rough childhood, and when my Dad had brought her into the family, we welcomed her with open arms. On the first night she came, she couldn't stop shaking, shivering as though she was frozen on the inside even though we were sitting right in front of the fire. I had given her my red scarf, wrapped it right over her head. She was surprised, but her shaking had stopped and when I asked her if she was warm now, she just nodded her head and held my hand. Since that day, we were inseparable until she finally met her soul mate.

I would be lying if I had said I didn't feel some type of resentment at the fact that she spent most of her time with Annie, her soul mate, now. But that was how life went. Once you found that special one, nothing else could even hold a candle in comparison.

Annie was very standoffish, keeping to herself and looking at everyone as if she detested everything. She had medium length blonde hair that she always kept swept up into a messy bun with cold, cold blue eyes that pierce every one they look at. Normally, Mikasa would be with Annie right now but Armin convinced her to come shopping with us, like old times.

Armin and I hurried through the door, locking it behind me as I followed him down the steps and to the sidewalk, making our way down town to the shopping district.

We walked side by side about a foot apart, casually conversing on what's been new in our lives, my hands chilling in my jean pockets.

"Yeah, so after that we went to the bar and guess what!" Armin gushed enthusiastically.

"What?"

"He got so drunk he forgot about his clock and ended up meeting his soul mate by puking on his shoes!"

"No fucking way!" My jaw dropped. I had heard of some first time meetings being downright embarrassing, but that took it to a whole new level.

"Yeah, he was sooo embarrassed. Shoot, I was embarrassed for him. Poor Reiner."

I laughed aloud, lifting my arms above my head and stretching.

"I hope my first meeting goes well, otherwise I think I might die." I commented, staring ahead and watching the backs of heads.

"You'll be fine, Eren. Just keep your temper in check and don't be too goofy." Armin laughed, clapping a small hand on my shoulder. "Ah! Look! There's Mikasa."

He pointed ahead and I had to squint to make out the red scarf she never took off.

A smile broke out on my face; I hadn't seen her in at least two weeks. I picked up my pace, grabbing Armin's hand and dragging him along with me at a slow jog. When we got closer, I practically threw myself at Mikasa, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing tightly. She wrapped her arms around me in return and squeezed just as tight, if not tighter.

"Mikasa, it's been too long!" Armin said from our side as we separated and I stepped back to allow him to step in for his own bone-crushing hug.

"It has, you look great." Mikasa said to him, the scarf on the lower half of her face hiding the fact that her lips were curled into a small smile. She looked up at me before pinching my stomach. "You look skinny, have you been eating?"

"Mikasa, stop! I've been eating fine!" How embarrassing, twenty years old and she still babied me. I felt a soft heat flood my cheeks and I knew I was blushing.

"Let's go shopping, guys! We only have a few more hours left and I want to enjoy it with you two until everything changes while I can!"

"Armin, not that much changes, you know." Mikasa replied to the blonde's statement.

"Yeah, that's what you think. But for those of us who are alone for now, the one's who get partnered up change so much. It's like nothing else exists." He frowned, sniffling slightly and turning his face up in mock chagrin.

Mikasa's eyes softened and she had a very light pink dusting the tops of her cheeks.

"You'll understand what it's like, Armin. I couldn't even begin to describe it."

I envied her. Her and Annie were a match made in heaven. She looked so happy and I could only hope that when I found my soul mate that we would be that happy together.

"Do you think I'll have a boy or a girl, Eren?" Armin turned to ask me as we began to walk into the store together.

I bit my lip in thought. Now that I think about it, I wasn't even sure what gender my soul mate would be, either.

That was another thing, no one knew anything about their soul mate. Not how old they were, their height, their looks, and their gender. It was all seemingly random to us. Although Lady Fate had chosen our pairs well, we never knew what to expect. For some it was a male and a female pairing, others male and male or female and female. I could only hope that whatever gender my partner was that I would be happy with the outcome. Those who weren't male and female pairings didn't often have children, even though adoption was available. They believed that if Lady Fate had wanted children for them, they would have been paired with the opposite sex.

"I'm not too sure, Armin." I replied before grinning slyly, "It'll probably be some big ol' buff guy because you look so girly!"

"W-What!" Armin had obviously not expected my answer because his jaw dropped and his face instantly flamed redder than hell. "E-Even if it was… I think I'd be okay with that. I just hope Lady Fate paired me with someone who's kind. I couldn't handle a soul mate that was cold."

I frowned. That was another thing we had no idea about, their personality. Sometimes Lady Fate seemed to play cruel jokes. She liked to pair the kind with the cruel, probably in hopes that they would learn from one another. But from every pairing I've seen, they seem to be pretty identical and mesh well, personality-wise.

"Yeah, knowing my luck I'll probably get stuck with some asshole." I remarked, hoping that Lady Fate hadn't taken me too seriously.

"You guys will be fine. She knows what she's doing. Have some faith," Mikasa interjected. "Let's go over here, I really like these pants."

We followed her to the rack containing pants, our comfortable banter occasionally filling the air. We shopped for clothes, trying them on and parading about in the dressing rooms as if we were models on the runway. I had blushed a few times from remarks on how good I had looked in a few choices, but blushed even harder at a comment on how good my butt looked in a particular pair of jeans. I decided to get them.

A few hours later after Mikasa had left to go home to Annie and Armin and I were on our way home, I glanced down at my wrist.

_000 d 000 h 007 m 027 s_

My heart skipped a beat.

_Ba-dump._

I glanced over to Armin, seeing that he was now doing the same.

He looked up at me, apprehension clear in his face. We walked side by side on the walkway, staying on the right side on our way home.

We were both terribly nervous.

"Ahaha, it seems that the time is coming rather quickly, huh, Eren?" Armin breathlessly squeezed out.

I bit my lip, my hand tightening around the handles of the bags of clothes I had purchased.

"Yeah, it seems so…" I trailed off, suddenly feeling nauseous. What if something went wrong?

What if my clock stopped?

What if they didn't like me?

What if I didn't like them?

What if I never get the chance to be happy in this world?

I glanced down.

_000 d 000 h 001 m 003 s_

_Oh my gods._

Less than a minute now.

I craned my neck, looking out over the fellow pedestrians making their ways home after long days at work. I glanced down at Armin; he looked incredibly nervous as he fidgeted with his vest again.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 056 s_

I felt as if I couldn't breathe. It was so close now. So close and soon I would see them, they would see me, our eyes would meet, and we would know. That's my One.

Armin reached over and grabbed the sleeve of my flannel tightly, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth before realizing that he was acting so unnerved.

"Hey, it's okay Armin. What did you always tell me? This was meant to happen. Everything will be fine." I gently reminded him before sneaking another glance.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 031 s_

"Y-Yeah, I guess I just never thought about the immense pressure I'd feel. I really want them to like me, Eren. What if I'm not good enough?"

_000 d 000 h 000 m 024 s_

"Armin, don't be silly! Anyone would be crazy lucky to have a guy like you! You're so awesome!" I comforted, offering him an easy smile despite the butterflies now on speed in my stomach.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 010 s_

_Ten seconds left…_

I kept scanning the crowd around me.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 009 s_

_Who could it be?_

_000 d 000 h 000 m 008 s_

It could be any one of these people and I wouldn't know until I looked into their eyes. I glanced over to Armin.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 007 s_

He was scanning the crowd, just as I was, looking for any possible sign. Looking for anyone who might be searching for him, too.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 006 s_

I had forgotten just now that he was destined to meet his soul mate just before I met mine. Would they be friends?

_000 d 000 h 000 m 005 s_

Would they just happen to be in the same place at the same time?

_000 d 000 h 000 m 004 s_

My heart felt so tight, I thought it might explode in that very moment.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 003 s_

I couldn't breathe.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 002 s_

I heard Armin's gasp and followed his trail of sight to a rather large male. He reminded me instantly of Captain America with his muscled stature and his charming good looks. It seems like Lady Fate had indeed chosen a male for Armin.

"It seems that you're the one I've been searching for." I heard him say to Armin in a deep, soothing voice.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 001 s_

Oh, gods. I couldn't _breathe_.

_000 d 000 h 000 m 000 s_

I looked just to the side of Armin's soul mate only to find myself gazing into the most beautiful pair of grey eyes I had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay! So people liked this away more than I had originally thought they would, and that makes me feel awesome! :D

Thanks for the reviews and favorites and follows and stuff guys! They really mean a lot.

**So**, this was originally going to be a oneshot, maybe a twoshot if people liked it, but the story kind of took on a life of it's own and everything just flowed so smoothly so I've decided it's going to be a threeshot!

So you guys all have one more chapter coming your way! :D HUZZAH!

Anywayyy. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Expect the next one sometime next week!

**I do not own SNK**

* * *

He was shorter than me, elegantly dressed in a dark suit that was clearly tailored to fit his every curve. It hugged him in all the right places, showing off his slender, yet clearly toned, body. However, instead of wearing a traditional tie, I noted that he wore a pristine white cravat and I couldn't help but wonder how he pulled it off so well.

He had pale, creamy skin that contrasted well against the ebony locks of his hair, styled in a neat undercut. He wore an expression of indifference, as if he had no care that he was meeting me, that his clock had finally completed its count down. His lips were thin but shaded a light pink and looked incredibly soft to the touch. I had to wonder how they might feel pressed against my own. But the feature that had captivated me most?

_His eyes_.

Those gorgeous sparkling orbs of ice drew me in faster than I could even realize it was happening. Though they appeared to be hopelessly apathetic, if I concentrated enough, I could definitely catch a molten hint of emotion dancing underneath. I wondered what thoughts were running through his mind. What was he thinking, seeing me for the first time? Was he excited? Was he happy? Did he feel so much so strongly that he didn't know how to react?

My breath stayed caught in my throat, I was unable to breathe, unable to speak yet alone form some type of coherent thought. But I didn't have to; he broke the silent moment before I even could have.

"You have got to be kidding me," his low voice caressed my ears in sensual velvet, drawing me in yet pushing me away in the same instant. His voice caused a spark that ignited a fire within my veins; and it was coursing swiftly, burning, scorching everything in its path. I was smitten. Although his voice sounded amazing to my ears, the actual words he spoke caught me off guard.

Why would anyone be kidding at a time like this? What a cruel joke that would have been.

My heart was playing havoc in my chest.

He narrowed his eyes and gave me a look of disdain before holding out his hand, palm up. I merely started at it in confusion. He wanted to hold hands already? He didn't even know my name yet.

"Euhh?" Before I could have stopped myself, my mouth blurted out the single most idiotic noise I could have made at that moment. It was a combination of 'eh' and 'huh', a combination that nearly killed me right then and there of embarrassment. I quickly cleared my throat and attempted to salvage the situation. "Nice to meet you?"

I muttered the words lowly, my cheeks heating up like the red coil of hot metal. He was still holding his hand out, eyeing me as if I was the single most idiotic person in the world. I felt self-conscious, so in an attempt to do something, anything other than stare, I went to shake his hand. When our fingertips brushed I pulled back, gasping audibly at the sensation of being shocked. It was as if a jolt of lightning had spread from his body to mine in that single moment. He stared at my hand before scowling in obvious irritation. I guess he got shocked, too?

He moved to grip my wrist swiftly, tilting it and pulling back my flannel all in the same movement to glance at my clock. I heard him swear under his breath and seen his eyes narrow.

"_Shit_," he frowned, glancing up at me one more time before letting go of my wrist as if I had a highly contagious disease.

The silence that ensued was beyond uncomfortable as we both merely stood there. I watched him, seeing his obvious irritation. Could it be that I didn't meet his expectations? Could it be that he wasn't interest in me? Didn't want to be my soul mate? I mean, I couldn't blame him for wanting to get to know me first, but he looked as if he didn't want a single thing to do with me, like I was nothing but a nuisance and he wanted to be rid of me as swiftly as possible. His gaze swiveled to Armin and his soul mate in disgust before he clicked his tongue and looked away. I couldn't think of a single thing I wanted to say, not that I would have tried to embarrass myself further on purpose, and it didn't look like he would have wanted to hear any of it to begin with. I had to say something, though, what if he thought I wasn't interested in him? I nervously tried to think of something, anything to say, searching through my brain to grasp onto anything that might cause his disgruntled expression to soften. He glanced over to me and raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow.

"Oi, brat. You gotta shit or something? You look constipated as fuck."

I stared, my mouth dropping open at his vulgarity. I had never spoken to anyone who talked like that before. Was he always so vulgar?

"You look like a damn fish, close your mouth." He sighed, lifting a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "Gods, that's so unattractive."

I snapped my lips together, my entire face flooding with heat. Now he thought I was unattractive as well.

_Great going, Jeager. You're really wooing him over, aren't you_?

He rolled his gorgeous eyes and parted those perfectly shaped lips to speak; I was all-too-eager to hear what his silken voice would produce next.

"Look, kid. I don't know what you were expecting, but I ain't it. I'm not interested in the whole 'soul mate shabam', got it?" He turned abruptly to his side, grabbing the arm of the larger male speaking to Armin.

I had honestly forgotten about those two. Wow. They weren't lying when they said nothing that mattered.

"Oi, Erwin, let's go. We're going to be late and I'm not covering for your ass." He spat, his voice causing tingles to run up and down my spine.

Never have I thought that one person would have this much of an effect on me. But, then again, I didn't think that my soul mate would claim he wasn't interested and try to leave- wait. What? As my mind caught up to what was happening around me, pulling me from my stupor, I frowned.

"What do you mean you're not interested?" I blurted out, appalled that he actually said such a thing. The First Meeting is something that everyone looks forward to his or her entire lives. It's a magical occurrence that gives our plain lives color and music to light up our existence from the inside out. Every one was interested in being happy. Every one.

He turned to me, and I vaguely noticed that Erwin had Armin's phone and was typing on the keyboard. "Did I fucking stutter? What are you, stupid? Not interested, kid. Don't want it."

He gave me a sneer before roughly taking hold of Erwin's shirt and shoving him in the direction they were originally walking.

I couldn't deny the sudden weigh I felt on my chest, the sudden feeling of suffocating though there was nothing clogging my airways. I couldn't understand the sharp tugging I was feeling on my heart.

Armin stared after his soul mate with a faint blush dusting his cheeks, a dazed look in his eye. Meanwhile, I watched on in dismay, unsure of what to do. Rejection hit me hard, and I felt so stupid.

So, so stupid for thinking that there might actually be someone out there for me that would actually want to be with me.

I was one of those unlucky few. One of those few whose soul mates didn't want to bother with it. Granted, they always gave in. You can't fight fate very long. It was just the inevitable pain that accompanied denial and rejection during the long and arduous task of winning them over.

Did that really just happen, though?

Maybe he needed a day or two to process the fact that we met.

Yeah, that's it.

He was just shocked.

That's all it was.

_Right_?

* * *

Three days.

It had been three days since I had last seen him.

Three days of agonizing whether or not what should-have-been-the-most-perfect-moment-of-my-life-but-was-a-disaster could have gone better.

Maybe Armin was right, I should have dressed better. Perhaps if I had looked as put-together as he did, my soul mate would have already at least given me a chance. But no, I had to go thinking that if I were myself they would like me more. I had to go making jokes about ending up with an asshole and Lady Fate took me seriously.

Why did these kinds of things always happen?

I should have said something smarter. I should have acted more like myself. Why did I freeze up like that?

I'm never that shy. I'm never the one to freeze up. Maybe Armin, but not me. I was supposed to be the outgoing one, the one that always made every one laugh. The one that always had something to say. So why, when I needed to be like that the most, my brain died on me?

He probably thought I was a complete idiot or something. Did he even think of me at all?

I was currently laying in bed, eyes unfocused at the ceiling in the deafening silence of my empty home. Armin hadn't slept here in two nights. He's always out with his soul mate, Erwin, now. It's all I ever heard from him when he was home.

Erwin, this. Erwin, that. And then Erwin- get what I'm saying?

Honestly, I couldn't feel any kind of resentment toward him though. I was happy for him. Whenever I would see him during the day he glowed with happiness. I could practically see the soul mate glow on his skin. Good for him. It's about time he found happiness. He deserved it.

I only wished my soul mate had taken a liking to me as well. I wished I didn't have to deal with this crushing weight on my chest, this feeling as if I would never be able to breathe easy again.

I couldn't get the image of his eyes out of my head. Aside from my constant worry over what went wrong, his eyes were all I could think of. I had to see them again. I had to see if they were indeed as captivating as I remembered. I had to see if I could once again detect that faint hint of whirling of emotions hidden beneath a perfectly crafted mask of indifference. Because, honestly, no one has that little care in the world. I wondered when I would see him again… If I would see him again.

Perhaps it will be a chance meeting in the streets, him and I walking along, unaware of the other steadily approaching.

But, _oh_!

Fate tempts up to glance up, _our eyes meet_!

Tantalizing grey holding molten emerald in its unbreakable hold. And it would be in that moment that he would realize that was being foolish, that he needed me as much as he needed air, that he could not fight fate no matter how hard he tried. He would run to me, taking my hands in his and declaring his uncontrollable desire for me, claiming his need to have me ever in his life before demanding that I go with him to get more acquainted-

_Ha_! A guy can dream, can't he?

A steady heat had crept into my cheeks as I lost myself in my daydreams and once I had shaken myself free, I willed my blush to fade. My cheeks had been getting far hotter than I would have liked over the past few days. I supposed it had something to do with my clock finally ending and went with that idea.

The last few days had consisted of me lying in bed, only leaving to use the bathroom or get something to eat. There wasn't much to do beside dissect our meeting again and again, trying to figure out what went wrong. I frowned. Was I really just going to let some asshole completely derail me?

_No_, no I was not. I was Eren _fucking_ Jeager! I was so much better than letting some asshole I didn't even _know_ get to me. I mean, _sure_ we were supposed to be soul mates and all, but what was the point when you plain out didn't like each other? I was brought up to look forward to my First Meeting, but now that I was thinking about it… Maybe that wasn't what was important. Maybe the important part came afterwards… At least for me, Lady Fate didn't like making anything easy for me. Although I did not doubt her care for me, as she cared for everyone the same, I did doubt the way with which she decided my problems had to come to me. Which was constantly.

I decided I didn't want to lie in bed and sulk anymore. What was the point? _Nothing_ was going to change. If he didn't want me, then I was going to make him see what he was missing out on. I was going to show him that just because he didn't want me that I wasn't going to crumble and break and be completely and utterly heartbroken. I had had my time to grieve and now that time was over. I needed to keep living. I had to trust in Lady Fate's decision at how everything would play out. I had to trust in myself to be able to win over the one whose clock had stopped with mine.

I rolled out of bed, grabbing a fresh pair of boxers before trotting into the bathroom and grabbing a towel too. I started the shower and slipped out of my clothing, setting my clean boxers and towel on the edge of the sink. Reaching my fingers beneath the spray, I tested the temperature of the water and stepped under it.

_Gods_, the stream of warmth felt beyond amazing.

I grabbed a loofah and poured some body wash on it, scrubbing it together until lather was produced. Satisfied with the amount of bubbly soap, I began to methodically scrub my body, relishing in the gentle abrasion of the loofah. I then rubbed shampoo all over my hair and rinsed my entire body. Once finished, I stepped out, dried myself and slipped my boxers on.

I needed to get out.

I couldn't stay cooped up in the house anymore. I needed to continue living my life and have faith in Lady Fate. Everything that was meant to happen will happen.

I dressed to impress (at least to my standards) with a pair of black slacks, a white V-neck shirt and a black vest thrown on top. I left the vest unbuttoned, liking the sloppy-casual look on myself more than the prim and proper. I scooped some pomade onto my fingertips and ran it haphazardly through my damp brown tresses, messing it purposely.

As I approvingly looked myself over in the mirror, my stomach gave a very loud grumble. Now that I was sure I looked good, I guess that was first on my list of things to take care of.

I grabbed my phone, wallet and keys and headed out the door, locking it behind me. There was a little cafe a couple blocks from my place and they had the most amazing coffee cake. I began in that direction without seeming to think of my actions.

I made my way down the sidewalk and up to the doors in no time. I headed straight for the counter to order a coffee and a cake. The cashier was a young brunette, with long hair tied back in a ponytail and plain brown hues that twinkled when she smiled and greeted me. As the girl went to fetch my order, I leaned my hip on the counter and casually glanced around the café. Tables, chairs, the occasional student studying, the occasional old couple, the here and there friends reuniting after years and years apart, the booths along the walls-

My gaze settled on a lone figure in the corner and instantly I felt a tug at my heart very similar to the one I had felt when he had been walking away from me.

_No friggin' way_.

I jumped as the girl handed me my order and paid her, my mind nowhere even near this counter but stuck on a lone, slender figure staring out a window.

My feet led the way before I could even attempt to talk myself out of it.

Sure enough, there he was in all his gorgeous splendor, sitting there drinking his tea in an unorthodox manner and looking so breathtakingly handsome I lost my breath momentarily.

He was _here_.

This wasn't a dream.

This wasn't make-believe.

He was actually right in front of me. Would he walk away again?

Would he even notice me? Surely he couldn't be that oblivious to his surroundings

I sat down across from him, my anger flaring when I began to think of how upset I had been the past few days and here he was, looking like nothing had ever happened. I noticed he wasn't paying me any attention, not even in the slightest of ways.

"What's your problem?" I blurted out before, once again, thinking. He glared at me and I knew this hadn't been one of my best ideas. I saw something flash in his icy grey hues and it took my breath away once again.

"Get lost, kid. I already told you; not interested." He spoke so dismissively, as if I were nothing more than a fly buzzing around his head. His gaze slid back to look out the window, his chin resting in the hand that wasn't holding his teacup weirdly. This caused my anger to rise.

"Does it look like I honestly care? You ruined my day! It was supposed to be special! It was supposed to be the day I met the one who would be with me for the rest of my life!" I snapped, finding myself tiring of his attitude, his dismissive, uncaring attitude. And it had only been a few seconds.

"Oh, well _excuse_ me, _princess_," he spat, and I could tell that I had pissed him off. "Here's a damn reality check; not everything is going to happen the way you fucking want it to. Get your fucking head out of your ass, brat."

I stared at him, my jaw dropping before I snapped it shut.

What the _fuck_ was his problem? I didn't do anything to him!

"Listen here, asshole! I don't know what your fucking problem is, but you need to stop acting like you have a stick up your ass! I just wanted to fucking _talk_!" I was beyond mad right now, my anger flaring up and consuming me before I could even stop it. Not that I wanted to stop it to begin with. He deserved it. He could have at least given me a chance to show him I wasn't that bad. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or _not_! Our clocks were the same for a _reason_! The sooner you accept that, _the better for both of us_!"

He stared at me coldly, and I could swear I felt the temperature of the room drop a few degrees. His expression morphed into one of disgust and I felt my stomach drop. I was making this worse than it already was. I was making him dislike me even more.

"T'ch. I don't need this shit from some stupid, shitty brat. Don't bother me again." He rose, placing his cup down and turning to leave.

Panic welled up in my chest; he was leaving again. I should have handled that better.

Fuck.

_No._

_Stay, please stay!_

What felt like a strong, painful tug on my heart had me reaching over the table to grasp his wrist and turn him back toward me. My hand was shaking, _gods _I was so nervous!

What _was_ that just now?

I stared up at him, feeling my face heat up when I seen his other hand reaching for his heart. Did he feel it too? Was that Lady Fate prompting me to act according to the path she set out for me? For _us_?

"_Wait_, please? Don't go..." I murmured, dejectedly looking down at the table in front of me. I didn't want to see the look in his eyes when he told me no.

He sighed sharply, pushing my hand off and sliding back into his seat. He glared over at me in annoyance, but I detected something else in his expression. Guilt, perhaps? Whatever it was, the minute flash was gone before I even had a chance to double take.

"You're a real pain in my ass, you know that?"

My heart skipped a beat and I found myself blushing lightly. He didn't leave and that brought a whole wave of warmth to flood my entire being.

_He didn't leave_.

I felt my lips stretch into a grin, but he just started at me before shaking his head as if he didn't approve of me getting so happy that he stayed.

"So what do you want from me, kid? You wanna go get married, go off in the sunset and live _happily ever after_ or some shit like that? Because I'm telling you now; it's _not_ going to happen."

I shook my head and replied, "No, I never said I wanted any of that. I just want you to give me a chance, that's all. Just one chance."

He raised a thin brow, seeming to think about it. I felt nervous. What if he rejected me again?

I didn't want to think about how bad it would hurt.

He released a low sigh and shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine. I'll give you your fucking chance, shitty brat. _One. Chance_. I'll meet you out front, tonight at 7:00. _Don't_ be late." He warned.

My heart fluttered and I felt butterflies in my stomach.

_I was getting my chance._

This morning, I would have ever doubted I would have even seen him again. But everything worked out. Just as it was supposed to.

That train of thought brought a smile that couldn't be wiped off to my face. _Good ol'e Lady Fate_.

"Okay, but I don't even know your name?" I responded, realizing that I had never bothered to find out. What kind of a soul mate was I? I should have learned this as soon as I seen him the first time.

"Levi." Came the silky reply, "You?"

"Eren." He smirked.

"Well, then, Eren." Oh, I liked that. I liked that _a lot_. "I'll see you tonight. Don't be late, brat."


	3. Chapter 3

Ahhh, so I'm sorry this took longer than I had originally thought. I've been totally swamped at work and then I was hit with this god awful writer's block that I just couldn't shake. I mean seriously, I would just sit there and stare at the screen for hours typing the same part over and over again and not liking how any of it was turning out.

BUUTT. As you can see, I have finally finished the chapter. (: It's the longest one thus far in an apology for taking so long. But I am finally happy with it. I think it flows very nicely and if anyone thinks anyone is OOC, just let me know? I mean I think the best ff writers are the ones that can take the characters and mold them for their story without changing their personality, so I was kind of hoping that everything fit here? I don't know. But I'm happy with it!

Sorry for this super long note, hahaha. Onto the story!

I do not own SNK.

* * *

Tonight.

I had a date _tonight_.

With my soul mate.

With_ Levi._

_Tonight._

He was giving me my chance.

It felt so unreal. I had spent the past few days dreading my existence over the fact that this man I didn't even know didn't seem to want anything do with me. I had expected Lady Fate would eventually help me on the right course, but I had never expected him to go along so easily.

Now I just had to make him realize that he really did want me, just like I knew I already wanted him. Even if he was a sour puss.

But that didn't matter. Even if he didn't have the most open, friendly personality, that didn't matter. Lady Fate tied that red string for a reason, damn it.

We were chosen for a reason, we were chosen because we would be perfect for one another in every single way. He would make up for my faults, whereas I would also make up for his. What I lacked, he would have plenty and what he lacked, I would have plenty.

The Yang to my Yin.

The Moon to my Sun.

The air in my lungs.

The beat in my heart.

And I was beyond excited to see where this date led us.

Would it go perfectly?

Would it go horribly?

I wasn't sure. Of course I wished for the former though, who would wish for a horrible date?

Would he finally want me in every way that I had already wanted him?

Would he want to spend his life with me?

Would he want to actually be my soul mate?

I hoped so. I didn't want to go through my life pining after someone who didn't want me in the same way. They always did say that one of the most painful things the heart could ever know was unrequited love.

I didn't want to be unrequited.

I wanted to love and to be loved.

I wanted my life to be spent happily with the one who was meant for me. The one I was meant for.

I didn't think that was too much to ask for.

I glanced in the mirror, taking in my nervous hands, my purposely-messed hair, my too-bright eyes, and my outfit.

I had less than two hours until my big date and I was beginning to feel as if I was going to my death sentence. I was certain Levi would not be impressed and that he would end up disliking me more than he already did. The bedroom door opened and I glanced behind me in the mirror to see Armin leaning against the frame of the door with his arms casually crossed over his midsection. I could tell from his expression he knew exactly how nervous I was about tonight.

"You're gonna be fine, Eren. He'd be an idiot not to want an awesome guy like you." He said softly, watching me with a softened expression.

I stared at myself once more in the mirror.

Messy hair.

Green eyes.

Tan skin.

I had on a pair of black skinny jeans that hugged my legs but didn't suffocate them. On my feet was a pair of white DC sneakers with a black outline of the logo on the sides and white laces. I wore a white v-neck coupled with a black denim jacket that complimented my tall figure. Paired with a chain that held my key and a wallet chain that attached at the front loop of my jeans to the wallet in the back pocket of my jeans and my outfit was completed.

Armin had picked out my outfit, saying it was sexy enough to show that I tried but casual enough to say that I didn't have to try too hard. I met his cerulean eyes once more in the mirror.

"Are you sure I should go like this? What if he takes me somewhere super nice and I'm not dressed night enough? What if he doesn't like it?" It wasn't like me to worry so unnecessarily over something so trial as clothes, but when it came to Levi all I wanted to do was impress.

I wanted to look the best, sound the best, act like the best; I wanted to be the best.

But not because I had some serious ego situation going on, but because I so desperately wanted him to want me that I was willing to go to any length to please him.

Call me what you want, but I wanted to be all I could be for him.

It's not like this is unusual. It's completely normal for someone to want to impress his or her soul mate. Totally cool. Every one of us does it. It's like it's been hard wired into our genes to want to be the very best we can be just for that one person.

"Eren." Armin's voice was suddenly firm. I turned around to face him, hesitant. "Stop thinking like that. Seriously. You'll be _fine_. Levi told Erwin what he was planning tonight and Erwin told me and you're going to be fine. So _stop_." He pushed off from the doorframe and came over to me, taking the sides of my jacket in his hands and tugging them lightly. "You need to stop doubting yourself. Don't forget; _you were meant for him_. If you can't stop doubting yourself, then stop doubting Lady Fate's plans for you. Every thing that is happening right now, every thing that will happen, it was all meant to be. _So stop_. Just go with it."

I stared at him, unable to even say anything in reply. He was right. He was always right. He always knew just the perfect thing to say, and he hit all the right spots to make me realize how silly I've been. I nodded, taking my lower lip between my teeth.

"You're right." I sighed, releasing the breath I had been holding and feeling as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders simultaneously. "I don't know why I'm worrying about this so much, you're right. You always are, Armin. I need to believe in Lady Fate and I need to believe in myself."

He smiled at me, and I automatically smiled in return.

"Just stay positive. Everything will be okay."

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I'll stop being such a Negative Nancy."

He laughed softly, tugging once more on my jacket before spinning me around and pushing me toward the door.

"A-Armin!" I chuckled, letting myself be moved. "Okay, okay!"

I began walking for myself, going down the hallway to the den and taking one more breath. I brought my phone out to check the time before turning and grabbing Armin in a bone-crushing hug.

"E-Eren! You're crushing me!" He gasped out and I let him go quickly.

"Thank you again, Armin. I'll see you in a little bit." I gave him another smile and turned to walk out the door after grabbing my keys.

Stepping onto the sidewalk, I set my pace at a brisk walk on my way to meet my soul mate in front of the café. As I got closer and closer, my palms got a little sweaty and butterflies began fluttering around in my stomach. To say I wasn't nervous would be a lie, I was beyond nervous, but thanks to Armin I wasn't going to berate myself. I was nervous because I was going to meet the man I was destined to be with for the rest of my life. I was excited, actually, to see how the night played out.

I looked up, my eyes scanning the pedestrians for a particular one with ebony hair and cold blue eyes.

My heart skipped a beat.

There he was, in all his glory, sitting at a small round table in front of the café. He leaned back in the chair, one ankle resting on the other knee with his elbows on the armrests.

He wore a fitted black button up with the sleeves rolled up to just under his elbows coupled with black slacks and black loafers. The shocking contrast of the black against his pale skin was breathtaking and he pulled it off so well I found myself struggling to remember how to breathe.

He looked up at me and I barely noticed the corner of his mouth tug up in a slight smirk. He stood up from his seated position and looked me up and down, his gaze roaming over my body enough for me to begin to feel slightly self-conscious.

"Not bad." He commented so lowly I don't think I was supposed to hear him. I checked my phone for the time one more time to make sure I didn't come even a second late. "Alright, let's go."

Levi started to walk off without me and I quickly rushed to meet his pace and walk by his side.

"Where are we going?" I asked him once our strides matched and I was no longer struggling to catch up. Seeing as I have long legs and he is shorter, I would have thought that he would be the one to have trouble keeping up but it was the other way around.

He didn't answer me, just kept walking at a determined pace to a parked, sleek black car at the side of the road. He got in on one side and I did the same on the other. The car was very well kept. Clean. Spotless. Black leather interior that still smelled new. But where we going? I decided not to ask again and just let myself be surprised. He started the engine with a low rumble and began driving.

I wondered where he was taking me. Would it be to some closed off, romantic location? A nice restaurant? Maybe it would be nothing close to what I could think of and end up being some fast food chain. Oh, gods.

But, if I were going to daydream, then I would do so dreaming of a nice restaurant. We would be sitting across from one another, gazing in each other's eyes and speaking softly of sweet nothings meant for no one else's ears. We'd reach over the table and our fingers would meet, that familiar electric jolting through our connected skin to remind us that we were meant to be. Lady Fate's undeniable evidence that two people were destined.

Glancing over to my side, I noticed that we were within touching distance. I smiled to myself at our close proximity, if I reached out my hand I could grab onto his. My fingers tingled and I brought my arm closer to my body, sliding my hand into my pocket. I didn't think he would like that very much just yet. Yet being the key word.

I was going to win him over. He was going to want me and he was going to want to be with me and he was going to be so happy he was my soul mate. I just had to win him over with my exceptionally charming smile… or something like that. I mentally face palmed; there was no way I just thought that.

_Geez_, Eren, get a grip. It's just a date. Who cares if he's devilishly handsome and has a voice smoother than melted chocolate?

"Oi, brat. Come out of your head, we're here." Said melty chocolate voice pulled me from my reverie and caused me to scramble out of the car with him and to take a good look around me.

Huh?

We were outside still, at a park. No fancy restaurant, no insanely wild set up, nothing. Just a park. I had seen this park before; it was just on the outside of town, about a thirty-minute drive from where I lived. Wow, did we really drive for that long? It didn't seem like it.

It was beginning to get dark, so everything was bathed in the yellows and oranges of the setting sun. There was a wide expanse of grassy hills occasionally littered with a few tree here and there. I could hear a river but I couldn't see it, at least not yet. There was a bridge that started somewhere over to my left and to my right I could see a few picnic tables and wooden benches seemingly placed haphazardly in their spots.

I glanced over to Levi, curiosity lighting my features.

"C'mon, kid. I've set up a place for us just over there." He pointed straight ahead of us and to the right and I gazed trying to see anything that had been set up. There were no picnic tables or benches or anything in that area.

Was he going to make me eat grass or something?

He began to walk at a comfortable pace toward the designated area and I followed meekly, not too sure if I wanted to know what lay ahead. If I tried to say that I wasn't _that_ curious, it would be a straight up lie. I was beyond curious. The sheer need to figure out what he set up for us was coursing so strongly through my bones that I was fighting a thousand different scenarios that wanted to pop up in my head. I wanted to see what it was before I continued to fantasize. I didn't want to get myself hyped up only to be sorely disappointed. I didn't know him; I didn't know what his idea of a date would be. I didn't know anything about his likes or his tastes or anything, but I wanted to. I wanted to know everything.

He stepped out from the front of me to give me a good view of what he had set up and I audibly gasped, unable to hide my clear surprise.

There was a river, I was right about that. Although it was much, much closer than I had thought. And we were right beside it on a little jut of land that protruded in the river. Trees lined the edges of the river on both sides in a breathtaking array of greens, yellows, pinks and whites. I was in awe of the location. There was a particularly gorgeous weeping willow tree whose drooping branches hung around the little bit of land and made it look like something from a fairy tale. The branches ended just above my head so they wouldn't touch us. But that wasn't what had me so shocked.

What had me shocked was that he set up an insanely cute picnic for us complete with a red and white checkered blanket, a wooden basket, a bottle of wine, two glasses, and several tall candles scattered around the tiny piece of heaven. I'd never been on a picnic before. I had heard some amazing stories about them, saying how they were great to do with the family and all, but never had I heard of a picnic date. Especially for the first date. The way the blanket was positioned was that we would be surrounded on all sides by water except one.

I felt my lips stretch in a wide grin before I could stop it.

"Levi!" I gasped, my excitement and sheer happiness at the effort he obviously placed in the date practically overflowing in my every word and action. "It's downright beautiful!"

I took a step closer, afraid that if I got too close the whole image would disappear and I would wake up from a horribly teasing dream.

"Yeah, I figured you would like some sappy shit like this." A smirk adorned his perfectly sculpted lips as he moved past me to sit on the blanket, being careful to keep his shoes from touching it. "And don't get your dirty shoes on the blanket."

I eagerly took a seat beside him, excited to find out what he had planned for us to eat.

"I hope you like red." He said off handedly as he grabbed the wine bottle, popped the cork out and begin pouring the dark liquid into the wine glasses.

He offered one to me and I took it, murmuring my thanks and looking over at him.

"Well," he began. "Even though I told you I didn't do the whole soul mate thing, your persistent ass wanted a chance, so here you go kid. Here's to your chance." He tipped his glass toward me and I met him halfway, clinking the tops together before each of us taking a small sip.

"Thank you." I said, gazing away in slight embarrassment. He nodded in response.

We sat in a comfortable silence for the next few moments, each gazing out at the river and listening to the comforting flow of the water. I could faintly hear the cries of frogs and cicadas, combined with the sounds of the river it was beyond perfect. I felt so at ease, so down to earth and comfortable that I found myself falling in love with the tranquility. I also found myself thinking about how I would have never pinned Levi to be the outdoors type. He looked all business in his suit and I would have guessed a fine restaurant would have been his preferred date, how wrong I was.

"So," I murmured, "why here? Of all places you brought me here. Why?" He didn't answer me for a few seconds, so I thought I must have given him a wrong impression. "I mean, it's beautiful. Don't get me wrong. It's like being here right now is so surreal. I had no idea this park was so beautiful. I'd seen it passing by, but I never stopped in."

"Because the air is so clean here." I tilted my head, my confusion obvious. Isn't the air clean everywhere? " Listen, kid. The stink of the gutters, the trash, _filth_ will always fill the air of the city. It's been that way for years and years. It's always shit; shit we all breathe in every day. But then you come out here, away from the buildings and the people and the filth," he paused, taking a slow, deep breath. "And the air is so fresh, so clean you can't ever imagine going back to that Hell we call home."

His answer was surprisingly detailed and honest. I had never expected such an answer from him. He seemed like such a man of few words. I simply nodded in response before he cleared his throat and grabbed the picnic basket and opened it. He took out a few items and I could see some fruits, strawberries, grapes, apples along with a container of small red pieces of green bits and some liquid in the bottom and a bag of small round pieces of French bread.

"I hope you like bruschetta." He commented before taking two small plates out and setting three small rounds on each one and bringing out a spoon to expertly spoon what I now knew was chopped tomatoes with garlic, basil, oil and vinegar. He placed just the right amount in small heaps before handing a plate to me. I thanked him again and brought one up to my mouth to taste it, moaning at the deliciousness.

I caught him staring at me and I felt heat rise up to my cheeks once more and I swallowed and cleared my throat.

"Sorry, it's just really good. Did you make all this?" He nodded. "It's amazing. You're a really good cook, Levi. And you're right. The air is cleaner. Thank you." He furrowed his brows.

"It's fine."

"No, not just for the food. For bringing me out here, too. It really is amazing. Thank you for sharing this with me." I gave him a soft smile, truly feeling happy at the moment. I feel like I was seeing a part of him not many others seen, which was saying something because he didn't even know me and I didn't even know him. I got the impression, though, that he didn't do this very often. He looked almost flustered at my thanking him as he quickly took a bite of his bread and chewed, glancing away.

I took another sip of my wine, noting how well it contrasted with the bruschetta. He planned this meal very well and I found myself hoping that after tonight that he would want to see me again.

The sun slowly lowered in the sky, the yellows and oranges becoming deep, musky oranges edging toward a dusky blue and the light of the candles was becoming more prominent.

"You don't talk as much as I thought you did." He said, glancing over at me.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I usually talk more but I just feel like it would ruin the moment if I kept talking and talking." I answered, feeling bashful.

"Well how am I supposed to get to know you if you won't tell me anything?" He countered. He was right.

"Ah, well, what do you want to know?" I asked in return, seeing what he was getting at now.

"'Dunno." He said simply. "Whatever you want to tell me, I guess."

Whatever I wanted to tell him? I thought long and hard, not sure of what I should tell him to begin with. I could tell him about my parents, but that's not really letting him know _me_ is it? That's letting him know about _them_. But I wasn't that interesting. What could I tell him?

"Oi, brat. You look constipated again, if it's that hard to answer I don't want to know." He sipped from his wine.

"That's not it!" I blurted out, a little too loud. He winced and rubbed at his ear closest to me. "I-I just couldn't decide what to tell." I quickly quieted myself. "I have two best friends, they've been with me as long as I can remember. I graduated high school like two years ago and I used to have a dog but he ran away so I got a cat but the cat ran away too. I gave up on pets after that." I gave a small chuckle.

"I have two, as well." He replied. "Best friends, that is. One is bat shit fucking crazy, but what can you do? The other is Erwin, but you know him." He was right, I did know him. I knew him too well for never having a direct conversation with him because of Armin. "High school was six years ago. And you're not allowed anywhere near my dog. I don't want him running away. He's been with me for eight years now."

"You have a dog?" I perked up. I couldn't see him with a dog, a cat, maybe. But a dog?

"They listen better." He said matter-of-factly.

"What kind of dog? What's her name?"

"It's a _he_ and _his_ name is Scout. He's a Doberman Pinscher."

"They're scary looking, right?" Levi scoffed like I was an idiot.

"I'll have you know that he's very intelligent, listens to every command, and is a complete cuddle bug." He replied indignantly.

I couldn't stop myself from bursting out laughing at his terminology. _Cuddle Bug_!

A rough shove on my shoulder had me laughing even harder as Levi scolded me for laughing.

"Shut up, shit stain! He is a wonderful companion and he'd eat a little shit like you for breakfast." He sniffed, turning his face away.

When I finally managed to stop laughing so hard, I got a good look at his face and decided he wasn't actually angry with me. I smiled at him and lightly nudged his shoulder, earning a smirk and a "shitty brat" comment.

This interaction with him felt so easy, so natural, not forced in any way. It felt good to laugh. I was positive that after tonight things would finally be looking up between us. If not in a super romantic soul mate kind of way, maybe we could both add another best friend to our list, that friend being each other.

All I could ask for was a friendship if he really didn't want anything to do with the romantic aspect of things. Perhaps that is what Lady Fate had planned for me, us.

"You got parents, brat?" He asked, smirk still present on those perfect lips.

"Ah, well." Where to begin? I exhaled lightly. "Mom's not with me anymore and Dad left very shortly after."

"Oh." He responded and I couldn't tell if he was regretting ever asking me. "Sorry if I touched on a bad subject."

"Nah, you're okay." I smiled again at him. "It doesn't bother me so much anymore. It used to, but it's easier for me to talk about now. I've been with Armin and Mikasa ever since, so they're all the family I need."

He hummed and nodded, looking out over the river again.

"I never knew mine. Grew up with my Uncle." He chuckled quietly, shaking his head from side to side slowly. "He was fucking psychotic."

I stared at him. To think that as a kid he had never known his parents made my heart throb in sadness. Did they pass away? Did they abandon him? I was curious, but I would never have brought it up lest I make him upset.

The sun had finally set and the low glow of the candles illuminated our faces with soft shadows and dim light. This date was by far amazing. I couldn't have pictured a better one, every scenario I could have created in my head paled in comparison.

His pale skin looked so very touchable in the soft glow of the candles, and I found myself admiring this man I had only just begun to know. His beautiful icy eyes were cast over the river, the fire reflecting in them and making the grey dance with the flames. His nose was perfect for his face, small, petit but well shaped. His lips, as always, were perfectly kissable. I wanted nothing more than to see if they, too, would cause a current to run through us. Whether it would be pleasant or not, I wasn't entirely sure. But I really wanted to find out.

I felt my heart give a pull as some insane emotion flooded my entire body and all of a sudden I couldn't think of anything else but him. I wanted nothing else but him. If I were to be deprived of oxygen if it meant being with him and getting to have him, I would gladly suffocate in that moment. The heat surged through my entire body and it felt as if there were thousands of magnets in my body pulling me toward him, urging me to just reach out in the short distance and touch him, feel him beneath my fingertips.

He glanced over at me then and I gasped. His eyes were alight with some unknown emotion that caused them to not only dance in the fire- it caused them to smolder. Could he be experiencing the same thing I am right now? He looked downright sexy in that moment and I never wanted to look away. I was caught in his gaze like a mouse locked in the deadly eyes of a snake.

I bit my lower lip, a light blush creeping to my cheeks at the intensity of his gaze. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it quickly and shook his head before trying again after clearing his throat.

"Do you feel that?" He asked, his voice low and sultry. I couldn't help but to stare at his lips, my own parting in response. I felt hot, so, so uncontrollably hot when just seconds ago it had been pleasantly cool.

I could only nod in response.

He curled his fingers into fists and placed them on the tops of his thighs, exhaling slowly.

"Wow." He whispered. I guessed he was trying to fight it the same way I was. I wanted to say something, anything.

"I-I never thought it was like this." I managed to squeeze out in a breathless whimper. My whole body was on high alert in the best of ways as it was ready for any move he made toward me.

He nodded as if to say "_me too_."

We found ourselves leaning in toward the other, our eyes drooping and our lips slightly opening in anticipation. We were mere inches away from the other, our breaths now mixing in hot puffs of air. I wanted this; I needed this. The fire in my body was unbearable, I only wanted to give it what it wanted and it wanted Levi in every way possible. He pressed his forehead against mine, grey orbs hooded as his hand came up to cup my cheek. He ran his thumb over my cheekbone and the currents that were running through my body at these simple touches were insane. I felt as if I was going mad.

He was driving me crazy.

And he was experiencing the exact same thing as I was at this very moment.

But even though we both had all of these insane feelings and urges, we both hesitated. We gazed at one another longingly, desperate to put out the fire that had consumed us and was coursing through our every vein. Should we? Was it the right thing to do? He didn't want to bother with the whole soul mate thing, and me? I was just happy to be friends if nothing else. If he wanted to take it to the level I preferred, then that would be fine with me in every way. But I wanted him to do it with a clear mind, not one clouded with desire so strong it was unheard of.

I needed to stop this before he did something that he might regret later when he had a chance to clear his thoughts.

I raised my hands, cupping both of his cheeks. He gave a quiet gasp at the light touch. I wanted so, so badly to close this distance, to feel him on my lips and to taste him with my tongue. I wanted it so bad. But I couldn't have it. Not yet.

_I'm sorry, Lady Fate, if these feelings were caused by you and I'm denying them._

I shook my head ever so slightly and earned myself a confused look. I would have to voice my thoughts aloud. Oh Gods.

"I want…" He seemed caught on my every word, and I'd be lying if I didn't say it felt amazing to be so focused on as if nothing else in the world mattered to him. "I want to do this right, Levi."

My words were low, breathy and barely audible, but he heard them. As if snapping from a trance, he jolted lightly and dropped his hand. I didn't want him to get the wrong impression so I continued before he could think any more.

"I don't know what this is that we're feeling, I've never even heard of something like this… But it's making it really hard to think straight, and while I'd love nothing more than to give in, I know you said you're not about the whole soul mate thing and you giving me this chance tonight is really all I could have asked for." His brows furrowed like I just made him angry and I scrambled to continue before he got too angry. "If we go ahead now and continue the way we were, we might start something that I'm not entirely sure if you'll be okay with once your head straightens out. I don't want you to regret it. I don't want you to regret me or this amazing chance you've given me."

Understanding flooded his façade and I felt more confident in my decision; I had made the right choice.

We leaned back from each other, getting into our previous positions before the fire took over. Don't misunderstand, the fire was still very much present; we were fighting for our thoughts now. Reason was settling in and slowly extinguishing this raging torrent of emotions rushing through us.

An amused smirk played on his lips and I caught myself curious at his expression. I gave him a questioning look.

"You've thrown me for a loop, kid." Was his only reply and even though I continued to gaze at him in a questioning manner, he never elaborated.

Maybe I surprised him or something, who knows? He was a difficult person to read, his face gave so little away.

He stood fluidly then, his movements so easy it made me think he had a lot of control over his body. He extended a hand down to me, a gesture I didn't expect. When I took hold of his hand, a jolt raced between our joined appendages. I still wasn't used to that, would I ever be? He helped me to stand. I helped him clean up in return, placing the used dishes in plastic baggies before putting them back in the woven basket as he began blowing the candles out and collecting them. I closed the containers for the remaining bruschetta and tied the bag for the bread rounds, also placing them in the basket. I helped him fold the blanket, as well and found that he had a very precise, very unusual manner of folding things. I discovered he had a thing with cleaning, an almost obsessive thing and that also explained why his car was so spotless.

We walked to the car in a comfortable silence and I could honestly say that I really, really wanted to spend more time with him. Did he feel the same? I could only hope.

We got in and buckled up. He started the car and drove back into the city. I had thought we would spend the ride in silence like we did on the way to the park but I was wrong when he spoke up in the darkness.

"That wasn't half bad, kid. You're alright." I glanced over to him, feeling a blush heat my cheeks.

"W-Well you're not too bad yourself." I replied, a little too quickly for my liking. He merely smirked.

The rest of the ride was quiet, an almost sad quiet that made it quite apparent that neither one of us had wanted the night to end.

Quite frankly, I didn't even think it would have gone that well. It was so much more than I could have hoped for. He was so down to earth, it was insane. I had put him up on a pedestal above myself with out even realizing it just because he was supposed to be my soul mate, but what I didn't realize was that he was just a regular guy like me. He had friends, he had a job, relatives, and a life of his own. His existence didn't revolve around me, and I was okay with that. It was real, it was solid and it was something I could definitely work with. He was honest in such a blunt way it was almost painful at times, but I liked that seeing as I was an honest person too. I liked honesty. If every one were honest, no one would have trust issues. I was glad to see that I wouldn't have to worry about him betraying that trust by lying. It made me happy.

I mean, sure, it was an insane love at first sight thing like Armin or Mikasa, but it was something real and it was something that was perfect for me. As always, Lady Fate knows exactly what she's doing.

We were driving past the café when he asked me where I lived and I gave him directions; he didn't want me walking home after dark by myself, muttering something about "shitty brat" and "kidnapped for all I fucking know." It brought a small smile to my face. I could really get used to being around him. I liked it. Hell, I liked him. And even if he wasn't ready for a deep, romantic relationship right now, that was okay. I was okay with it. I found that I liked it much better this way; knowing something more lurked around any corner and that we would grow to know one another before delving right into an extremely intimate life together.

He pulled up in front of my place and turned the car off. We sat in silence for a few moments before I went to open the door.

"Hey," he said lightly, turning to face me. "I meant what I said. It really wasn't bad at all. I could definitely do that again."

I felt my heart skip a beat and start back up double time. He really just said that?

Stay cool, Eren. _Stay cool_.

"Me too, I had a great night. It was something I didn't expect at all and it was amazing."

He gave me the slightest, barely noticeable upturn of his lips and I returned it with the biggest smile I had ever felt on my face. I was flying right now, happiness running all over me.

"Here, hand me your phone. If I ever want to get together again, I'm going to need a way to contact you." I eagerly handed him the little device and watched as he first added himself to my contacts and then sent a text message to his phone. He handed it back to me. "Alright, kid. You'll be hearing from me."

I nodded, the smile not leaving my face once. I could have practically floated I felt so high in the clouds right then.

"Bye, Levi." I opened the door and stepped out, closing it lightly, but firmly, behind me.

When I heard the window going down, I turned. Levi was leaning over the center console toward me and I couldn't help but to notice how utterly sexy he looked right then and there.

_Delicious._

"By the way," He glanced down at his fingers nonchalantly. "I was thinking that maybe this whole fate, destined soul mate thing might not be so bad if it's you I get stuck with."

"Yeah, well, I was thinking the same thing. I mean I was_ totally_ against it at first, but eh, you weren't too bad. I guess." I replied sarcastically and shrugged.

"You're a cheeky little shit, you know that?" I laughed in response and he chuckled as well. I was in love with how comfortable we were interacting. His laugh was beautiful, nicer than any I had ever heard before. I wanted to hear it more. "Goodnight, Eren."

My heart skipped another beat at the use of my name and butterflies instantly began fluttering in my stomach.

_Gods_, the things this man did to me.

"Goodnight, Levi."

* * *

From that night on, we started to spend more time together. We began hanging out a couple times a week, but after the second week it quickly escalated to several times before we were hanging out every day after work. We grew closer and closer, the fire grew hotter and hotter, and a strong, undeniable love was beginning to form.

He called me three days later to spend more time with him again, and then two days after that. Each time I went to see him I was met with butterflies, blushes, stutters and nervousness. He always brought out a reaction in me that left me speechless and breathless and I never wanted it to end.

Our first kiss happened the fourth time we went to see each other. We were walking on the beach, pants rolled up to our knees, shoes in our outer hands and our hands in the middle clasped lightly together. I had been so bold as to lace our fingers, something we hadn't yet done. The third date we had held hands, but they were lightly clasped and he seemed so shy about it I didn't want to push it any further. He seemed pleasantly surprised and later, as that inevitable heat washed over us, we stopped walking.

We stared at each other for the longest time, not saying a thing. The sun was beginning to set and the light reflecting off the waters surface behind him caused him to look like some sort of insanely attractive god that just left the ocean's waters to come to the surface just for me. I bit my lower lip and gazed at his lips, he caught the motion and before we knew it, we were slowly closing the distance. I dropped my shoes and lifted my hand to run the backs of my fingers over his cheekbone, feeling the smooth skin. He dropped his shoes as well, but to put a hand at the back of my neck and lightly play with the hairs at the nape of my neck. The currents that raced between our touches only fueled the fired that coursed through our veins. Neither of us fought the pull this time, didn't even try. There was no hesitation. There was no second-guessing. I leaned down just as he applied pressure to my neck and our lips met not even a second later. His lips were soft and plush, neatly fitting with mine in the mere milliseconds they were joined.

The shock that flowed between us had us quickly pulling back almost instantly. We stared at each other, panting from the constricting heat and desire flooding us before we gave up all conviction to remain proper and our lips met once more in a furious clash of want.

There was no pulling back this time. The sheer need we had for each other was enough to have us tugging to get closer, scrambling for anything to grab onto, hair and clothes were fair targets. Nails dug into shoulders. Breath came in quick gasps through our noses. When he parted his lips and ran his tongue along my lower lip, I didn't even try to act coy and quickly complied with his unspoken request. Our tongues mingled in a hot, wet caress, neither fighting for dominance nor trying to overpower the other. It was a mutual, yet passionate, meeting and it was done over and over again, our muscles lapping at one another repeatedly.

When we finally did break away, we were both left panting from the excitement and it wasn't until only two dates later that we finally made love. Love was in the air and it wouldn't be going anywhere. It was beautiful in every way; I wouldn't have changed a thing about it and neither would he. It was easy and slow at first, we took our time exploring. It was only the first time once, we had the whole rest of our lives together to ravage as we wanted. When we were finished, he made it known to me that he wanted to think about us moving in together. We waited a few more weeks and then decided it was finally time. We were already spending every night together, sleeping in his bed at his house and we were both ready for a new place. We found the perfect location and looked for just the right house we could see ourselves growing old in. After we found it, we officially moved in only a month later. Things were amazing between us. Granted, we did have the occasional argument, but there was never any yelling, no name-calling, and no insulting. We sat down and talked our differences out like adults and made sure that everything was resolved and there was nothing either one of us could resent the other for. We hung out with our friends together twice a week, sometimes having get together at our houses, other times going out to bars but it was always nice. Armin and Erwin had already moved in together as well, doing it after only three weeks of meeting.

Although we didn't fall right into being soul mates as soon as we met, we got to experience an amazing build-up of emotions that most people don't get to because they jump right in. Lady Fate had made and excellent path for us, and now that he was with me 100%, there wasn't another path I could have wished for. I was happy in every sense of the word. As long as I had Levi by my side, I could have conquered the world.

I had my soul mate, and he had his. We were perfect together, just as I knew Lady Fate wanted us to be.

**The End**

* * *

Soooooooo, that's that! The end of Time's Up! Did you like it? Did I live up to expectations? Was it an utter disappointment? I'd love to know what you guys thought of it.


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